Todd Blanche rescinds Trump’s ‘anti-weaponization fund’ ahead of nomination hearing
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has formally rescinded a $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization fund" that President Trump had proposed to compensate his political allies. The move clears a major obstacle ahead of Blanche's confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, as the fund had drawn bipartisan criticism partly because it could potentially have benefited people involved in the January 6 Capitol riot.
Blanche issued the termination order late on Sunday, 3 August 2026, with a confirmation vote scheduled for the following Tuesday. According to the order, no members had been appointed to the fund, no money had been transferred, and no claims had been paid before it was rescinded. Republican senators John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who had blocked Blanche's confirmation, had demanded a written termination after Trump kept publicly backing the fund despite Blanche previously testifying it would not go ahead; Trump has suggested he may try to revive it once the two senators leave office. The order separately narrowed tax audit immunity protections to apply only retroactively.
In short
- Blanche rescinded Trump's $1.8bn "anti-weaponization fund" for allies.
- Move clears the way for his confirmation as Attorney General.
- Senators had demanded the fund's termination in writing first.
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The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
This rescission properly upholds rule of law and institutional integrity. A government fund designed to compensate political allies raises serious constitutional and ethical concerns about the politicisation of public resources and the appearance of rewarding those involved in potentially illegal activities. The potential to benefit January 6 participants particularly undermines democratic legitimacy. Even Republican senators recognised the fund as sufficiently problematic to demand its termination as a condition of confirming Blanche, reflecting genuine bipartisan concern to preserve the Justice Department's independence.
The case against
The rescission abandons a legitimate commitment to Trump supporters who believe his allies faced politically motivated persecution. Presidential clemency powers are broad and well-established; this fund was simply another form of that prerogative. Since the fund was never implemented and no money was dispersed, it posed no actual harm. Rescinding it under Senate pressure undermines executive authority and breaks Trump's promise to his supporters, privileging political convenience over the administration's stated principles.
Explained simply
The Department of Justice is the federal department responsible for enforcing US law, and the attorney general leads it. Todd Blanche, a former lawyer for Donald Trump, is serving as acting attorney general while seeking Senate confirmation to hold the job permanently.
The proposed fund was linked to Trump’s claims that government agencies had been used against him and his supporters. Its proposed payments raised questions about whether people connected to the 6 January 2021 attack on the US Capitol could benefit.
The Senate Judiciary Committee examines attorney general nominees before the full Senate considers confirmation. The fund had become an issue for senators assessing Blanche’s nomination, including Republicans who wanted it formally ended.